Mikel Arteta preparing to make his most ruthless sale yet as Arsenal manager

Arsenal will look to make major improvements to their first-team squad this summer, according to reports, but there could also be some big-name departures.

The Gunners invested heavily last summer, splashing £170 million on Declan Rice and Kai Havertz, who have both played a key role in their ongoing Premier League title push.

Havertz's form in front of goal has been instrumental in recent months but while the German international has flourished, other attacking options have struggled to make an impact.

Gabriel Jesus, a marquee signing from Manchester City in 2022 for £45 million, is leaving much to be desired, scoring just four goals in 24 league appearances this season.

In fact, according to The Athletic, Arsenal are open to offloading Jesus or fellow striker Eddie Nketiah to facilitate incoming transfers – something that may come as a shock to fans.

The report suggests a suitor for Jesus has yet to emerge but Arsenal's sporting director Edu has "begun the process of courting clubs who could help Arsenal offload players deemed dispensable."

It appears they are considering a sale but there are no doubts around Jesus' ability or character. In fact, Mikel Arteta is a big fan of the Brazilian and recently praised his mental toughness.

But issues around his fitness, and finishing, are casting doubt over his future in North London.

Ahead of Arsenal's Champions League clash against Bayern Munich last month, Jesus admitted he couldn't remember the last time he played without pain.

"I'm just trying to recover good to be ready," he told reporters.

"I personally don't normally want to talk about my fitness. After the World Cup, I had that injury in my knee and I recovered so well, but had a setback after the pre-season."

Jesus added: "I played in like three 90-minute games in a row and again a pain in the knee. Then after training, I had a kick in the knee. I'm just trying to get fit and help Arsenal as soon as I can.

"Unfortunately, I've been having some problems and people don't always see that. But mentally, I try to be strong in my mind. That's it."

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Earlier this year, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano said Arsenal will invest heavily and have already begun drawing up targets, which include a striker and a central midfielder.

"The expectation is for Victor Osimhen to go, this is a very clear message that we are getting," he said on The Here We Go Podcast.

"So the idea is for Victor Osimhen to try a new chapter, we know there has been long-term interest from Chelsea but there is interest also from Arsenal.

"We’ve also heard about [Viktor] Gyokeres, Arsenal are monitoring different strikers. Let’s see if Osimhen will be too expensive because Arsenal want to make a very big investment in midfield.

"Keep an eye on Arsenal this summer because in the midfield and in the striker position they want to invest important money."